Key holder



Sept. 6, 1938. C, A, WHJRRAY 2,129,436

KEY HOLDER Filed April 26, 1938 WITNESS Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to devices for holding a plurality of keys in such manner that any key is readily accessible for use, the holder being provided with a hook at each end, one of which may be engaged with the keys and the other with an identification tag or with a chain, both hooks being normally closed by a flat sleeve, said sleeve being slidable with respect to the hooks to free the bills of the latter whenever required.

'I'he object of the invention is to provide a novel device of the general character set forth which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed and sold at a reasonable price, yet will be eicient and desirable from all standpoints.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing keys upon one of the hooks and an identification tag on the other.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view with the parts positioned as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but showing thesleeve moved to the position at which it frees the bill of the key-carrying hook.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the sleeve moved to the position at which it clears the tag-carrying or chain-attaching hook.

In the drawing above briey described, the numeral 6 denotes an elongated metal Sleeve having parallel closely spaced side walls 1 and longitudinal edge walls 8 and 9. One end III of the sleeve 6 is preferably somewhat concave and the other end is preferably formed with a deep notch II imparting a forked formation thereto.

A one-piece wire member I2 passes through the sleeve 6. This wire member is provided with one longitudinal shank portion I3 lying against the inner side of the sleeve edge wall 8, with another longitudinal shank portion I4 lying against the inner side of the edge wall 9, and with an oblique portion I5 connecting said shank portions I3 and I4 and lying slidably against the side walls l. A relatively large return-bend hook I6 is integral with the shank portion I3, and the bill I'I of this hook lies against the inner side of the edge wall S. A relatively small return-bend hook I8 is integral with the shank portion I4, and the bill I9 of this hook lies against the inner side of the edge wall 8. Both of the bills II and I9 terminate in spaced relation with the oblique portion I5, and said bill I'l is provided with an outwardly bowed hump 2D removably received in an opening 2I in the sleeve 6 to normally hold this sleeve and the wire member I2 against relative sliding so that said sleeve closes both hooks I6 and I8 to hold keys 22 upon said hook I6 and to hold the hook I8 engaged with an identification tag 23, or with a chain.

When the hump 20 is pressed inwardly, the sleeve 6 may be slid over the hook I8 until said sleeve clears the bill I1 of the hook I6, thus a1- lowing keys to be taken from or placed upon this hook, as will be clear from Fig. 4. If the hook I8 is tobe freed by the sleeve, this sleeve may be slid from the position of Fig. 4 toward the bight 24 of the hook IIi as seen in Fig. 5, the deeply notched end of said sleeve then occupying a position in close proximity with the oblique portion I5 of the wire member I2, so that said oblique portion may guide the sleeve back into position on the hook I8 when desired. The sleeve must first be returned from the position of Fig. 5 to the position of Fig. 4 to allow inward springing of the hook bill I1, whereupon said sleeve may be restored to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position it is held by snapping of the hump 20 into the opening 2|.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the object of the invention. While preferred details have been shown and are preferably followed, minor variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:-

A key holder comprising an elongated sleeve having closely spaced parallel side walls and longitudinal edge walls, and a one-piece wire member extending through said sleeve and having one shank portion contacting slidably with the inner side of one of said edge walls, a second shank portion contacting slidably with the inner side of the other of said edge walls, an oblique intermediate portion connecting the inner ends of said shank portions and lying slidably between said side walls, a relatively large returnbend hook on the outer end of said one shank portion and lying slidably against the inner side of said other edge wall, a relatively small returnbend hook on the outer end of said second shank portion and lying slidably against the inner side of said one edge wall, the bills of both of said hooks terminating in spaced relation with said oblique intermediate portion, the bill of said relatively large hook being provided with an outwardly bowed hump, one end portion of said sleeve being provided with an opening removably receiving said hump to normally hold said Wire member and sleeve against relative sliding, said relatively large hook having a shoulder which prohibits sliding of said sleeve toward the bight of this hook until said sleeve is slid over the relatively small hook sufliciently to free said bill of said relatively large hook, said sleeve being then slidable toward said bight of said relatively large hook to entirely clear said relatively small hook, said oblique portion serving to guide said sleeve back onto said relatively small hook.

CHAUNCEY A. MURRAY. 

